Yollocalli's youth are taking over the media through storytelling, audio journalism, and radio production. Yollocalli Arts Reach is a youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art.
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY & HAPPY NATIONAL CONDOM MONTH!
Normally we celebrate in person at our annual (sexual health) Valentine’s Day Party, but this year we’re celebrating from afar. So, we’ve compiled some great resources to help you stay safe.
First- Some PLAYLISTS for while you read. We’ve compiled some happy, sappy love songs (if you’re into that sort of thing…) and some sad, angry songs for everyone in their feels.
Be sure to check out our WELLNESS RESOURCES. Specifically for young people in Chicago- we created a list of trusted, reliable, and often FREE services and guides on everything from mental health, sexual health, food banks, immigration, and knowing your rights.
Dating During the Pandemic: Tips for Young People Who Are Living at Home
And finally, some free Valentine designs to save and color, or print and send:
NATIONAL CONDOM WEEK was originally published on Yollocalli Arts Reach
Hello! We miss you all, we miss the space, we miss the smell of pizza in the hallways, we miss the laughter and loud music, and we miss making weird art with you. If you need anything, please email us or contact us on social media. In the meantime, check out some ways to keep making the weird gold in the world. Share with us what you make and we will post it!
Yollocalli’s Wattz Up Radio show! Explore the awesome audio from some talented teens throughout the years. Tons of audio to brighten your day. https://soundcloud.com/yollocalli
YOLLOCALLI Suggested viewing:
How to live stream by Yollocalli. Check out this quick tutorial by our La Mesita gang about the best way to live stream. https://youtu.be/vZX4yv20bg8
Adam Stone, youth musician performs live on La Mesita and has a great interview with journalist, Nine. https://youtu.be/D6xNTRAECGk
An Artist’s Impact is a video created in the summer of 2019 about Eric J. Garcia, an artist from New Mexico. Learn about his work and how it connects to his communities. https://vimeo.com/399494205
Time for Yo Propaganda! Learn about the “isms” from Yollocalli – racism, sexism, adultism, classism. Ya we did that. https://vimeo.com/55891119
YOLLOCALLI Suggested reading:
Yollocalli has great zines and guides online on ISSUU. This zine was developed by the talented, Sarita Garcia, and celebrates our 20 year anniversary of making murals throughout Chicago. Have fun exploring our collection
https://issuu.com/yollocalli
YOLLOCALLI Suggested Activities!
Draw with us! We made some ridiculous drawing prompts for you to keep your skills sharp!
http://yollocalli.org/draw
YOLLOCALLI Coloring Libro – Remotely made by the Yollocalli Street Art Studio crew. Download, print or color in digitally… and then share with us online!
http://catacombes.paris.fr/en/virtual-visit : catacombs virtual tour
https://thekidshouldseethis.com/– geared towards kids, BUT cool for anyone. An amazing collection of videos- art, science, trippy shit, DIYs, nature, old stuff, etc.
https://huskmitnavn.dk/collections/all
Cute coloring book pages from HuskMitNavn. Each drawing is available for 2 days only- download them all!
https://motiondesign.school/collections/courses
Some free intro classes- Adobe Illustrator, frame by frame animation, After Effects
Quarantine Resources was originally published on Yollocalli Arts Reach
NMMA’s Yollocalli Arts Reach is partnering with the American Indian Center of Chicago, Steppenwolf Education, Mujeres Latinas en Acción, The Newberry Library, and the Lozano Branch of the Chicago Public Library to offer a series of programs related to The Round House. Winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction, The Round House by Louise Erdrich is set on the Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota and tells the story of a boy on the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family.
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
NEA Big Read 2020 was originally published on Yollocalli Arts Reach
Introducing Club de Reporteros, a collaboration between ENLACE Chicago and Yollocalli, where mommies are learning to how to be reporters in their community, Little Village. They are acquiring skills on interviewing, writing stories, on utilizing on-line various application and building team work. For the past weeks they have explored thoughts, concerns and matters around Little Village, stay tune to check out her final stories!!!
An interview with Jay Howell of Bob’s Burgers at House of Vans Chicago.
Written By: Oscar Perez
Did you know that in every episode of Sanjay and Craig (Nickelodeon) there is a pickle hidden somewhere? It is fascinating trying to spot them all! I enjoy this show and its engaging stories, comical dialogue and creative animation style. It’s undoubtedly one of my favorite cartoons and I could binge watch it for hours and that’s why I think that Jay Howell, inventor of the show, is a creative genius. I had the opportunity to speak with Howell before his presentation at Characters for Characters: Exploring Character Development at House of Vans.
At Character for Characters, Howell was straightforward and kept a laid back stance, starting the workshop with his personal story. He told us he attended the Academy of Art University at San Francisco, however, because he never really liked school he dropped out after two months. Afterward, he began to immerse himself in skateboarding, zines, snowboarding and DIY pop culture.
In 1994 Howell started making his own zines, and working from the coffee shop he managed, he gave those zines away to his customers. He wasn’t exactly living comfortably, barely enough to make ends meet, but that was all about to change. One day Howell received an email from a stranger who claimed to be an art school student and explaining how he had obtained a copy of Howell’s zine. The stranger managed to animate it and sent a copy along. To Howell’s surprise, the animation was astounding. Howell responded to the stranger, requesting they work together and create more animations.
The two began working together and soon an art showcase gave them an opportunity to present their work. This art showcase turned out to be momentous because soon after Howell was offered the opportunity to make his work into a television series. As you may already know, this turned into the popular television show, Bob’s Burgers.
Once I had the chance at the workshop, I sat down with Jay Howell in a more private conversation.
How do you make a good character?
Making a good character is generally about you drawing the best you can possibly draw and the funnest (as he said it like that) you can possibly draw and really loving your character, loving your artwork. If you don’t love it, nobody will love it. That’s very important.
I was astonished having heard that enchanting response. The passion Howell puts into his work is nothing short of amazing!
What goes into developing a character’s personality?
A character’s personality solely comes from the creator of the character. In a lot of ways, if you look at all the Bob’s Burgers characters, all those characters were already comedy characters, before the show happened. Every single one of the actors on the show already had stand up material, that was basically those characters before. So, the creator found all these great different personalities and brought them all together, then we drew them based on their personalities.
Howell instilled in me that perseverance you need to face adversity. Much like a superhero, and as any other superhero, he came to me when I needed him most. Going from table to table at the workshop, he sketched in each of the participants’ notebooks.
In mine, he drew three versions of Tina from Bob’s Burgers. Then, when we took a photo together, I couldn’t help but feel like were best friends… best friends like Sanjay and Craig.
Oscar Perez is a young reporter from Little Village and a student of English Literature and Humanities at Northeastern Illinois University. He is currently part of Yollocalli’s radio and journalism program,“Your Story, Your Way!”
Meet our extraordinary summer interns:Jennifer Galan, Gerardo Salgado, Oscar Perez, Emmanuel Ramirez and Emilio Gonzalez for Your Story, Your Way!
Jenny, Jerry, and Oscar are working on brilliant, outstanding stories, articles and reviews for Gozamos.com and for Little Village Community Portal. Meanwhile our magnificent Emmanuel and Emilio are learning all about radio pre and post production! They made possible for you to listen to our amazing jamz on Saturday’s Wattz Up! and for you to listen to our show online at Mixcloud and Soundcloud. Check us out!!
This summer, the 2018 Audio and Storytelling Class “Your Story, Your Way” is slowly exploring different locations around Little Village. Stay tuned in order to hear sounds, interviews and stories of the exciting places we are traveling next!
For 2018’s Ruido Fest, a few of our crew and hosts of Yollocalli’s “Wattz Up!” Radio show, were invited once again to cover and explore the depths of Latin Alternative music and the great well known musical heritage that has been passed down by generations within our families. Artists like Panteón Rococó, Los Angeles Azules, Los Mirlos, Los Esquizitos, Los VooDoo Glow Skull Dolls, and the great Celso Piña, among others. Many of these artists have been a part of the youth’s music library. In our recap Wattz Up! show we presented Ruido Fest 18 coverage, filled with ecstatic interviews, live clips and vivid jams.
We were able to meet great and upcoming artist like Playa Gótica, Omar Apollo, CqqchiFruit, Reyno, Kinky P, and Quinto Imperio. Quinto Imperio recently won a “Battle of the Bands” tournament in which they were the first band to open up and start this years Ruido Fest. Besides, the crew of Wattz Up! interviewed Wrestlers from the community, Local Vendors from both Pilsen and Little Village, and some people from the audience. For the art enthusiasts, Chicago based artist Sentrock was happy enough to talk to us during a live painting session he held next to the Estrella Jalisco stage.
As we covered this year’s Ruido Fest and collected all kinds of adventures, we cannot wait for the surprises that will unravel next year’s. Stay tuned for our 2019 Ruido Fest coverage!
Wattz up! is produced by Yollocalli Arts Reach youth and broadcast live through Lumpen Radio, WLPN 105.5FM Chicago.
Check out our Season 7 of Wattz Up! from Spring 2018. We explored and navigated through different worlds, from planet earth, geeks, arts to crumbling nations, stopping by San Francisco with What We Hold stories and much more. Wattz up! is produced by Yollocalli Arts Reach youth and broadcast live through Lumpen Radio, WLPN 105.5FM Chicago
The House of Vans Girls Skate Jam is a wonderful way to bring families together in celebrating the culture of skateboarding, art and music.
Written by Gerardo Salgado
House of Vans opened its doors in Chicago in February of 2017 to hosting live performances, workshops, and jams. Their purpose has been to bring in multiple aspects of the skating community together: photography, live performances, art, and of course skateboarding and its culture.
Attending a House of Vans hosted Girls Skate Jam at their Chicago location, we found ourselves on Elizabeth street in a large and vibrant, warehouse-type venue with its own skateboard area.
The event was a wonderful way to focus on embracing and bringing girls of all ages to skate and show their impressive skills and talent. It seems that lately there has been a great message spreading across the US about the culture of skateboarding and the sport itself. It’s slowly becoming more known and being popularized as a great sport rather than a negative one.
House of Vans opened their space for girls of all ages to enjoy the indoor skatepark with their friends and family, creating a safe space and making sure that everyone is able to have fun and hang out. The event made everyone feel at home, especially sharing in this culture that is made for anyone to enjoy.
During a recent Girls Skate Jam, some of the memorable moments included different personalities showing up as part of the program, like Nina Moran, member of the New York City based all-female skateboard collective, The Skate Kitchen. She was able to hang out and skate along with the rest of the guests.
Moran is a skateboarder, activist, and actress from Brooklyn. She is an active supporter and really passionate about ending the gender stigma around skateboarding. Moran often hosts and shares events similar to HOV Girls Skate Jam to promote and engage women of all ages and supporters to embrace the culture.
Another cool moment was the jam, the live music performance by The Kills. They killed it, performing over a dozen songs including hits like “Hard Habit to Break,” “Pots and Pans,” and ending the show with “Monkey 23.” The crowd loved the show.
Not only does HOV provide a space for skateboarding, with live music performances, but it also showcases artist work. This time it featured the work of Robin Eisenberg. This event, like many others to come, is a great start to bringing youth of all ages together to shed more light on the skating community while encouraging girls of all ages to skate.
This House of Vans Girls Skate Jam is a wonderful way to bring families together to what their children care and are passionate about, as well as being able to have fun as a family and listen to great music!
Experiencing C2E2 2018 for the first time was a warm welcome to the comic book community. Growing up, I never really took an interest in comics, I grew up in an environment where comics were not a popular trend. Initially, C2E2 overwhelmed me with thoughts of its impressively large community. I couldn't understand how people can be so devoted to one thing, especially to a world of characters that are not real in the physical world. It wasn't until I began to get involved with the artist community, as a student in Yollocalli in my neighborhood of Little Village, that I understood that everyone has a world to get lost in. It helped me respect the thoughts and imagination of others along with my own. So, I decided to enter C2E2 excited and with an open mind.
As soon as I arrived the first thing that caught my attention were some familiar faces like Spiderman, Princess Belle, the Joker, and even Waldo! They were actually just cosplayers, but their costumes were honestly well thought out and put together. The practice of cosplay is such an interesting and awesome form of expression. I noticed that some costumes were more extreme than others, based on the devotion, the fan had for a character. Face paint was another awesome method fans used to express their devotion to these fictional worlds. Families also showed their creativity and teamwork with matching costumes from the same universe. It was so heartwarming to see parents cosplaying alongside their children!
Adding to the awesomeness, there were many artists who were vending their artwork. When I say many, I mean like hundreds! There were a great deal of things to buy from like prints, keychains, mugs, t-shirts, buttons, stickers, you name it! There were also stations where they had a particular focus like jewelry, wands, or wigs. A lot of the artist were selling fan art but I noticed some of them selling their own original characters, which I thought was amazing! Their work was created with different types of mediums and surfaces. Some artists caught my attention by the way they combined cultures together through their craft. Just like the t-shirt I bought from an artist who combined Papa Smurf with Biggie Smalls. It made me happy to see the artists using C2E2 as a platform to get their work noticed. C2E2 did a great job by giving hundreds of artist from all over the country their own space to expose their unique artwork in the expo.
Going into the geeky stuff, there were a variety of goods to purchase. There was a section for comic books and even collectable artifacts for the huge booje fans. There were panel discussions, screenings, and interviews. The fans had the opportunity to get a photograph taken along with an autograph from some actors for a fee, of course! I realized that one of the biggest highlights at the moment was Marvel. Most of the fan art consisted of Marvel characters and settings. I expected to see more Black Panther material, but it seemed that there was a bit of everything else. I guess the hype was also from the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Infinity War. Some stations were giving out Marvel souvenirs for free like posters, calendars, and buttons. I found it lovely that everyone was able to take something back home.
Overall, C2E2 will have you leaving reality at the entrance. You get the chance to explore various imaginative and geeky realities. I would like to go back with friends and family since I would like them to live this experience for themselves. One of the greatest things I left with was motivation. As a young artist, I hope to get to see my work become as successful and awesome as the work I saw. I aspire to see new worlds get more popular, as there are many artist with amazing ideas that should get acknowledged greatly. Thank you Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo for the fun experience.
A recap of C2E2 and the importance of Hispanic representation in comics by reporter Gerardo Salgado Flores of Yollocalli's "You Story, Your Way!"
Written by Gerardo Salgado
“In the comic book industry you work for your comic book, panels, characters, and if they (Comic Book publishers and editors) see the popularity then they’ll see that and take notice but either way the community plays a huge role on bringing awareness.” - Chris Sanchez
The Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) is Chicago’s take on comic book conventions and one of the city’s most memorable events to attend. C2E2 takes place at McCormick Place during the Spring season and on the weekend of April 6th-8th we rejoiced with panels touching on topics such as students working with comic mediums, cosplaying on a budget, diversity in cosplay, as well as #BlackComicsMonth.
Many wonderful artists, along with television and movie stars - like Mark Millar, Phil Lamarr, R.L Stine, and Chicago’s favorite Svengoolie - get to feel that nostalgia with fans, especially those intent on meeting, greeting, and experiencing everything at C2E2. The event makes any comic book geek flip with joy and wonder, especially when meeting their idols, and you can’t help but let that 7 year-old in you jump out and cry with glee.
When attending the convention, one walks into a whole new world that disconnects from the outside and separates itself from other industries. This convention merges diverse communities and different worlds into one while enabling guests and cosplayers to be themselves, full of creativity, love, and enthusiasm for their craft and work.
Delving into the diverse communities of C2E2 provides an opportunity to cross paths with others while also gaining valuable knowledgeable especially through its many informative panels. As an example, as I wandered around to find a panel that felt close to home and close to my heritage, I stumbled upon one in a small hidden room. There, I was able to experience and take in the Latin genre panel, “Hispanics in Comic Books,” hosted by Chris Sanchez and John Marroquin. In the discussion, the artists provide a glimpse into this exciting movement that is gaining momentum in indie comics. They explained how Hispanic and Latino characters are being created and portrayed within the comic industry.
This panel shed some light on creating and opening up the culture within the market. It also taught those in attendance some aspects of Latin American history. Sanchéz and Marroquín questioned if it’s the comic book communities ability to merge these fascinating characters filled with culture which are then fleshed out as characters that are already well known in the Comic Book community. With existing Hispanic comic book characters, a few are not able to become well known or form their own story, and a small percentage barely become fan-favorites of the community. Even if they do, they are portrayed as an anti-hero, anti-villain, or just a villain. On a brighter note, some of these anti-characters might just make it as criminals who are trying to change their life around…. nonetheless, they are still criminals.
As they mentioned:“Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Lunella Lafayette (Moon Girl), Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099), Miles Morales (Spider-Man), Robbie Reyes (Ghost Rider), Jaime Reyes (Blue Beetle) are well great and wonderful characters, but when are we able to see them in the big screen?”
The irony continued when they gave citeful data, on the top three characters in movies of 2014, we (latinos) displayed the Hispanic Thug, the Latino Cop, and the Sexy Latina Woman. “I love Ant-Man, but look at his friend Luis (Michael Peña), he plays a criminal. Yes, he is funny in the movie, but he is representing a thief and a criminal. When can we see a Hispanic Superhero on the big screen or even TV Shows?” Marroquin added.
After talking briefly with attendees, Marroquin then touched upon the power that the Hispanic community has, oblivious about the artists, illustrators, and even publishers being aware of this great community, there is still no voice that is being amplified and demand for these characters.
Engaging further in the topic, Sanchez added that being part of the comic book community is a business, but it is a business that that kids, teens and geeks still read and value. He followed that by remarking on how comic books are now the big topic and a great source of income in the film industry. For example, within the competitive world of Marvel and DC Film, the Black Panther movie (about a Marvel Superhero and King of Wakanda, a fictional African nation in the Marvel Comics) grossed $1.2 billion during its theatrical run. As Marroquin followed, “African-Americans are very vocal about their superheros. When can we (Hispanics) raise our voice? Chicago has a big Hispanic community with a lot of love, but where is the voice?”
When it was time for audience participation and opening the floor for questions, the attendees were curious about racial stereotypes. One fan asked, “How can we as fans and creators change or eliminate the stereotypes of these diverse characters labeled as villains or anti-heroes?” In which, Sanchez responded, , “Make new characters without stereotypes. Bring new characters and new stories. We don’t need characters who don’t have father figures, or characters who live in the hood.” He continued, “Look at Moon Girl as an example.”
At first glance, it is very true. Often people from the community praise upon characters close to them, meaning a superhero without a father, or living in the ghettos or “hood,” which makes some people feel close to that character. That is great for character development and for diversity but that itself is just labeling a majority of the Hispanic characters as people from those places or those who reside in harsh living conditions. A lot of these storylines, unfortunately, are being created by caucasian male writers and illustrators because that is how they see us.
One attendee also asked about the origin and creation of these characters and why they are never fully Hispanic, African, or of other descents. It seems to be always half this and half that aka half-and-half-ethnicities.Then Marroquin questioned, “Is it our fault, as in our community? Do we speak up about it? What should we do?”
Finalizing the panel, Marroquin and Sanchez touched on how culture is perceived within movies, comic books, and video games. They brought up two movies that acknowledged that Hispanic culture has been in filmmakers thoughts - “The Book of Life” (20th Century Fox) and “Coco” (Walt Disney). Both are distinctive films attracting the Hispanic community, but only one grossed well and created a vocal fan base while attracting a younger audience. Sanchez added, “It’s great to see ‘Coco’ being appreciated and supported by the community, and from other communities. Just look at the numbers! ‘Coco’ did great in Mexico and Japan! So seeing the support from everyone is amazing. Cultures should support other cultures, I agree 110%.”
Marroquin added on how different cultures can accept and support other cultures without racial stereotypes and generalizations, “I want it to become normal to the point that no one notices.”
I personally came to the realization that the Hispanic community has been active in the comic book world for awhile. Within the fan base, the forums, and the powerful characters, the love and support for diverse characters, and a wide range of cultures, is there, however, the community should be more vocal about their admiration for these characters in the film industry.
Evidently, Hispanic roots have and will continue to grow within this industry and it is just a matter of time, with continued support, for more of these superheroes to flourish.
Congrats to Your Story, Your Way audio storytellers! Their work is a part of “What We Hold: Youth Voices on Roots and What Matters Most” at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California. Sylvia and Camila flew out to visit the show on March 25th.
Check out our Season 6 of Wattz Up! from Fall 2017. We celebrated our 20th birthday interviewing our Director, Vanessa Sanchez. Also, we presented deep conversations from boys perspectives to net neutrality; navigated through the Pop Culture world, the Day of the Death traditions to Little Village people stories. Wattz up! is produced by Yollocalli Arts Reach youth and broadcast live through Lumpen Radio, WLPN 105.5FM Chicago. (Yollocalli)
